The Power of Atalie
by NiceSlytherin
Summary: She knew she was a witch. But discovering her new identity changes everything.
1. 1: I Survive a Pegasus-crash

**My first fanfiction on other than the one I co-wrote (_Percy Potter_, check it out)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson and this is made solely for fun.**

**I know this kind of plot is sort of cliché but give it a chance! And review, please!**

Chapter 1

I thought the day I got my letter would be full of celebration. Instead I'm running for my life.

As I dodge branches and hop over rocks, prickly leaves tearing at my pale blond hair and making my face red, I think desperately of how to be free of the creature behind me. The creature being a furious, slobbery face almost pasted to a lion's body. At first I thought it was some zoo animal who had run into a "Wanted" poster and had gotten it stuck on its head. Oh yeah, and its tail could shoot spikes. A manticore.

Mom had told me they're one of the most dangerous of beasts, because they have skin that repells all spells. But they're also supposed to live in Asia and West Europe, and be incredibly rare. I pull out my new wand, and my mind races to think of a spell from the old, hardcover books in our living room. I risk taking a look back at the monster gaining on me. "Stupefy!" The red light hits it square in the chest, but it simply snorts as it bounces off into the trees. It's only a few yards behind me when I notice a flash of color in the woods. I gasp as I spot a chubby man in blue slumped against a tree, some sort of pipes thing in his hands. He looks up and jumps when he notices me. He's too far away for me to hear him swear, but I know he is. He dashes towards me, groping in his jacket pocket. He pulls a sword and sheath so small in could be for a doll, covered with a similarly sized sheath. He tosses it towards me. I catch it clumsily as it begins to grow. Within seconds it was the size of a regular sword. Magic.

My heart is pounding, but I turn around to face the manticore. I slip off the sheath and it falls to the ground. Cringing, I swipe the sword at its head as it nears. It makes a sound that reminds me of the beginner band class at school as it explodes into a yellow powder. As the final grains settle on the pine needle floor, I twirl and stomp my foot at the man. "What- Who are you?"

His face is pale. "I'm not supposed to be on duty… he's so going to get it…" He mumbles. Then he clears his throat. "Hello, I'm Glenn, and I will be your satyr guide on your journey to camp." Satyr? I look down and realize that instead of feet, furry hooves poke out from the bottom of his feet.

"There must be some mistake, I didn't sign up for camp. But on a rather more important note, WHAT WAS A MANTICORE DOING IN THE MIDDLE OF MASSACHUSETTS?"

Glenn takes a step back, but calmly says, "How about I explain it to you on the way? Hand me my sword, will you?" I pick up the sheath and cover the long blade, surprisingly clean considering I had just killed a manticore. I hand it to him, and as soon as he touches the tip to his pocket it shrinks back to the dimensions of a letter opener.

"How does it...?"

"I repeat: on the way." I'm about to protest, but then he takes out his pipes and plays a short tune. Nothing happens. I start to speak again, but he holds up a finger. "He'll come. I practiced this like a million times." Just then a thumping sound made me glance up. A winged horse makes its way towards the clearing where we stand. I gape in amazement. It settles down with a snort, and Glenn gives it something from his pocket.

"Do you need help up?" I shake my head and easily slide onto the pegasus. I find a comfortable place right behind where the wings connect to the shoulders. Glenn jumps up and sits behind me. I tense as he puts his arms around me, even if it is for security. He makes a noise and the pegasus takes off.

"Now tell me," I demand, almost yelling because of the sound of the air rushing past us.

"Well, here's the thing. You know all the Greek gods and goddesses?" I nod my head, unsure of where this is going. "Well, they're real. And one of them is your parent."

I almost fall off the pegasus. "That's not possible. My mom is a witch. I just got my letter from Salem Witches' Institute today!"

Now he's surprised. It takes him a moment before he replies, "What about your dad, then?"

I purse my lips. "We don't talk about him much. He was a muggle, a non-magic person, but apparently he left mom when he figured out what she was."

It's silent for a long time. Then I remember not all of my questions are anwered yet. "So why was a manticore chasing me, and what's this camp you're talking about?"

Glenn sounds relieved. "Those are easier. It's around your age that demigods start attracting monsters. That's why we try to find you before they do. And the camp is called Camp Half-Blood. It's a safe place for demigods to live and train. Ah, here we are."

I look down in surprise. Pegasi must travel fast, because now we are flying high above dark green waves. Not far ahead is a shore.

"Long Island, New York," Glenn answers for me as we fly over it. In less than a minute buildings appear in the forest. The pegasus starts its landing, and I see a big blue house along with several others that must be the cabins, except they all differ in color and decorations. Next to them is a gigantic firepit area, and next to it, a dining pavilion. Mostly it looks like a regular summer camp, except for things like a climbing wall that looks deadly, a gigantic shed labled as the "armory", and stables where pegasi and other horse-like creatures roam by.

We're going to crash. Our pegasus hurtles towards the big house as I shriek. Glenn pats his pockets frantically for his pipes and plays another set of bars simular to the first. The pegasus evens out, but not quite enough. We get thrown from its back as it lands in front of the house. I'm still picking myself up when I hear a voice drawling. "Not another one."

"Mr. D, sir, a manticore was chasing her," Glenn says.

Mr. D, a pudgy man with curly dark hair wearing a Hawaiian shirt covered with slices of watermelon, looks at me, amused. "A manticore? Haven't seen one of those in ages. Almost would have guessed you're something special." I make a move towards him, but Glenn holds me back. "Ah, well I suppose you have to come inside. Chiron insists on being the one to explain anything."

As we walk up the steps of the porch, Glenn tries for conversation. "I see you have altered from your animal-print standard, Mr. D."

"Finally! Someone noticed. Yes, one of the new satyrs mistook my preference of clothing to mean I was an 'animal lover'." He shudders.

We enter through a squeaky screen door into a parlor. Standing in the doorway is a centaur. The only reason I know what they looked like (other than the obvious man/horse part) was because of the times I have spent poring over Mom's old school textbooks.

His voice is deep and kind. "I saw you coming. A new recruit, eh?" He walks over to me, each hoof-fall echoing through the room. He extends his hand. "Chiron. Well done, Mr. Glenn Underwood, quite smooth; it' obvious you are both still in one piece. I assume he has explained the whole demigod thing to you, Miss…"

"Moore. Atalie Moore." I say.

"Lovely name. Anyway, now I will go more into detail about your life at camp. And then I would like to hear more about you, Atalie." He raises an eyebrow. "Until your godly parent is determined, you will stay in the Hermes cabin. I hope you find it agreeable- just… be wary of the Stoll brothers. You will participate in the same activities as they, and-" Suddenly he stops. Everyone stares at the wall behind me. No, they are staring right above me. I look up and see a bluish light.

"Di Immortales," Glenn mutters.

"Well this makes it more complicated," Chiron breathes.

"Not another one," Mr. D grumbles.

"What?"

"Atalie Moore, you have just been claimed," Chiron says hesitantly, "as the daughter of Zeus."


	2. 2: My Dad Redecorates my Room

"Zeus… he's like, the sky god or something, right?" I say. Everyone else winces as if expecting the house to be hit by lightning. Mr. D says something about needing a drink of Diet Coke.  
"Yes, and he is incredibly powerful. Which means… you're powerful too." Chiron sighs. "You see, in general your father and two of his brothers, the 'big three', they try not to have many children because they have such potential to change the world. For better or for worse."  
I feel like my head just got hit with a metal hammer. My body starts to feel light. Glenn quickly guides me to a poufy green armchair.  
"And now, I believe, it would be beneficial to hear your story," Chiron says. I begin to speak.  
"My mother is not… 'human' either. She… she's a witch." I stammer.  
Chiron jerks in surprise. "I thought your people had died out. Oh, was I stupid."  
Glenn frowns at him. "You knew about witches?"  
"And wizards, yes. Go on, Atalie."  
"Well, I'm a witch too, and actually just today I got my acceptance letter from Salem Witches' Institute, the place where my mother went. Mom made a pancake breakfast, and then…" I trail off. "Then the manticore burst through the kitchen window. We were screaming, Mom picked up a knife and swore in some language. Greek, I guess. She tried to stab it, but it was too late. The manticore shot one of its spikes at her. It killed her instantly. She's dead. Mom is dead." I swallow, my eyes burning. "And I was running, running into the woods, and it chased me. I was almost ready to collapse by the time Glenn found me." I'm talking faster now, to cover up the impossible truth before.  
Chiron rubs my shoulder sympathetically, but I can tell his mind is elsewhere. "I am so sorry about your mother, my dear. She must have been a brave woman." He waits a bit before changing the subject. I sniff. "So you're both a witch and a demigod, of Zeus, out of all odds. Peculiar. I would have thought such strong genes would have depleted any magical ones. But the amazing thing is, a most unique young demigod is sitting in this parlor right now. You're more powerful than you realize, Atalie. You are an inspiration… and a weapon." His face becomes grin for a second before it is hastily replaced by an unconvincing smile. "Thank you for your time. Glenn will now show you to your cabin. One thing- don't tell the other campers what you are, at least not for now."  
Glenn leads me outside. As we leave I hear Chiron speaking to someone: "...the strictest security… Zeus…"  
We walk towards the cabins, which are arranged in a sort of triangle. I look at each cabin as we walk by: a bloodred house with metal music blasting from the open door, a pastel-pink house with white trim, one with a rooftop garden where a girl with long light-brown hair encourages vines to emerge from the ground and curl around her fingers. We reach the far end. I'm aware of campers gathered outside one of the cabins, whispering and pointing. Glenn takes a small ring of keys from his pocket of many treasures and slides one into the lock of the huge white marble cabin labeled as "Cabin One". He twists it and pushes the bronze doors open, and we step inside.  
For the first time since the parlour in the Big House I notice Glenn's face. He is trying to avoid looking at me, but he looks like he had seen a ghost. "So, this is the Zues cabin- there's different cabins for each god. You can take any bed you want, and then I can escort you to the camp store to get some supplies. Do you have any questions?" It's obvious this is not what he desires, so I shake my head.  
"I'll find everything out soon enough, thanks though. And I can walk to the camp store myself."  
"Um, of course! Well then, I'll get going. I'll be in the Big House if you need me." He smiles nervously and backs out of the cabin, closing the door behind him.  
I lift my arms up and slap them back down to my sides, exhaling loudly. I survey the cabin. The ceiling is made of enchanted tile like the ceiling I had read about in that British Wizarding school. Right in front of me is a gigantic golden statue of what must be lord Zeus, my dear father, and along the walls are indents filled with heaters and yet more statues of eagles. One of the indents doesn't have anything in it, but is instead covered with faded photos. There are no bunks. No furniture at all for that matter. I groan again and take off my jacket, with my wand in the pocket. My wand.  
I pull it out and throw it up in the air, watching it twirl vertically before catching it like a baton. Maple and dragon heartstring, just barely short enough not to jump out of my pocket, I had seen the curiosity in the seller's eyes as my wand found me. Mom had to go shopping anyway, so she finally agreed to get my wand early. Pivoty Way is a short alley full of wizarding shops, the only one on the East Coast. No store makes wands there, but several get shipped over from the United Kingdom.  
I scour my brain for any sort of charm that could give me a bed. Even if I had ever seen one, I can't remember it, although I probably wouldn't be able to perform it, anyway.  
My wand jerks in my hand. It starts shaking so violently I have to grip it with both hands to avoid dropping it. A beam of light extends from it to a spot on the floor, and I watch in awe as a twin bed starts to materialize. The sheets are a light blue and the frame gilded gold. Almost as an afterthought, a gigantic lightning bolt symbol is added to the headboard.  
"Thanks, Dad," I mutter. But he's not done. I eventually let go of my wand as more things appear: a dresser, a gigantic mirror, even a coat rack. Okay. Finally, my jacket is hung on a hook on the rack and my wand is shoved into my hand by some mysterious force. I take one last look at the gigantic forboding statue and leave the cabin


	3. 3: Nymphs Try to Starve Me

I am suddenly hit by the fact that it is only noon. It seems like a lifetime has passed since I was sitting in my kitchen, musing spells I would invent throughout my school years with Mom. I focus on a statue of a half-naked man. I know I wouldn't be able to hold off thinking about it forever, but the fact that my mother is now stuck in Hades eternally is still unbelievable. Shaking my head to clear the memories like magnetic dust on an etch-a-sketch, I hop down the steps of cabin one and decide to look around. Just then, a bell rings and I jump. Kids of all ages start exiting the cabins on either side. Some dash, some meander, some chat with friends, but they are all heading in one direction. Lunch time. I disappear into a group of teenagers leaving a cabin on my left, but a few seconds immersed in talk of radiuses and the dimensions of the Parthenon makes my head spin. A step to the right and I can hear a pack of giggling girls squealing about glitter lip gloss. In the end I resolve in walking to the Dining Pavilion by myself, pondering what will happen there. Where will I sit? Will they have any vegetarian options? As we near the pavilion I hear a voice saying, "You're the new girl." I turn quickly to see a boy with caramel hair and kind blue eyes adjusting to match my pace.

"Yep. Um, so where am I supposed to sit?" I gesture to the Dining Pavilion now below us. People are filing down stone steps and settling at tables. Even though it's the middle of day a huge fire burns in the center.

"Do you know who your parent is?"

For some reason I don't want to lie. "Zeus." I don't look at the boy, but in my peripheral vision he takes a step back.

"Er, cool! I think you're right there." He points to a table right in front of the table where I can see Chiron, Mr. D, a boy that looks just like Mr. D, and a girl with copper curls are sitting. The table is empty.

"...Thanks," I mumble, and hurry down the steps. As soon as I sit down on the bench, a glass appears. I look around quickly. Even if I had my wand with me and knew the spell for filling the glass up with water, no one could know I was a witch. Then I overhear a boy complaining.

"Ugh! Mr. D took away the Kool Aide!" He groans. "I want to strangle him," he says, this time a bit quieter so the aforementioned can't hear him. "All right, then… just gatorade, I guess. Red." I stare as his empty glass fills up to the brim with bright red liquid. He takes a sip but still looks unsatisfied. "It's just not the same."

I look back at my glass. "Uh, pumpkin juice?" I try. Sure enough, it is suddenly full of my favorite beverage. I taste it, and am almost disappointed when I find it not as good as the one Mom makes. Made.

Now willowy girls are bringing plates, cutlery, and platters towered with sandwiches to the end of each table. None come to mine. Before I can ask one of them for anything, they disappear. The campers pass the food down their tables, laughing and grabbing generous amounts of it. I get up and walk over to one of the tables. Tapping a girl on the shoulder I ask, "Um, do you have an extra plate?"

She turns around on her bench and I realize I've made a mistake. She growls, "Not for you, no."

"Ah, I'm sorry, Atalie. I did not check to make sure you had food," Chiron says from his table. "Here, take this plate." I walk up to him and thank him as he hands me one. "Feel free to take whatever and however much food you'd like." He gestures to the platters on his table. Blushing, I select a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and sit back down.

People are sneaking looks at me. I pay particular attention to a crumb on my plate. Mom had thought I should go to school even if I showed signs of magic, but I'd had to blend in so few would notice if I missed school one day or went to go levitate branches at recess. I'm not used to this attention. And like it can't get any worse, Mr. D stands up and clinks his fork on a glass.

"Hello, darling campers. I'm supposed to announce the arrival of a new demigod, Natalia Monroe. I hope you'll welcome her kindly into our community blah blah blah." He sits back down and there's polite applause.

"Um, actually it's Ata-" I stop when I realize he isn't listening. Or he's pretending not to.

The kids get up and go over to the huge fire in the middle of the pavilion. I finally learn what the fire is for as they slide food into the flames, muttering what must be the names of their godly parents. Uncertaintly I get up and do the same. "To Zeus," I whisper, trying not to draw yet more attention.

In time everyone finishes lunch and leaves in pairs to their afternoon activities. I remember I should go to the camp store, wherever it is, to get everything I need. I search for the boy who had helped me earlier and find him still eating at a table with some other boys, one with a flute case on the bench beside him. "Excuse me, could you tell me where the camp store is, please?" He looks up.

"Of course! Actually, I need to pick up some stuff, too, so I'll come with you." He stands up and one of the servers, nymphs, I finally figure out, whisks his plate away even though he's obviously not done. My face gets warm again.

The camp store is empty except for us and an old satyr sitting behind the register doing sudoku, legs up on the counter. The boy- I realize I don't even know his name- browses but I can tell he actually doesn't actually need to go shopping. I get all my essentials and take them to the counter, and suddenly I'm aware of the fact that I don't have any money. Nothing other than some loose sickles and knuts, that is.

"Er…" I look down at my hands. The satyr laughs.

"You're new, aren't you? Don't worry, I can put it on your tab."

"Really? Thank you!" I gather up the stuff. The boy sees me and comes over, holding the door for me as we walk out. Wow.

"You've been so kind, thank you for all the help. I'm sorry, what's your name?" I say.

"Christopher," he answers. "Yours?"

"Atalie," I say, smiling.

Suddenly the air gets stuffier. "Well, I'd better go. Do you know what your schedule is yet?" I shake my head. "You're welcome to join us for the day. The Apollo cabin, that is."

So he's son of Apollo. I didn't know they were that nice- or maybe it's just him. Maybe it's just him, talking to… me.

"Sure! Sounds great! What are you doing? I mean, what's you guyses schedule this afternoon?" I babble. But he doesn't laugh.

"Sword class. Do you have a weapon?"

"No, not really," I say, thinking of the wand lying on my dresser.

"Well then let's go to the armory first. Leo can suit you up." With a skip in my step, I follow Christopher away from the store.

**Sorry... sorry. It was unresistable. Actually, I sort of just let the story go where it wanted and I guess it needed a little bit of preteen awkwardness or whatever. I promise I'll try my best to discourage it to go any farther, but it might just... happen. And it's not my fault if it does, it's this story's fault. You writers out there know what I'm talking about :)**


	4. 4: I am a Pitcher

The armory is a large shed with rows of every weapon imaginable along covering the walls- swords, lances, daggers, bows and arrows, you name it. I examine a rusty shield while Christopher calls for the boy in charge. "Leo!"

It takes a few more tries before Leo comes out from a door, a short guy with dark messy hair. I could imagine teachers putting him in the front row, dead center, just for the mischievous look on his face that I somehow know is his default. He scratches the back of his head. "Sorry, I didn't hear you, I was… working." He yawns.

Christopher rolls his eyes. "This is Atalie. She needs a weapon."

Leo perks up. "A weapon? Awesome. So, do you have any set preference for what you fight with?"

I'm overwhelmed. "Um, no."

"Okay then, we'll have to do the whole interview thing." He deflates slightly. "Parent?"

"Zeus?" I say, almost as a question. Leo's eyes widen.

"Really? Cool. Can you, like, fly and stuff?"

"What? No. Well, not that I know of."

"Oh. I know someone who can. Anyway, you're probably some sort of sword or spear person, I'm guessing from prior experience. So I guess the question is: do you like pitching or hitting better?"

"Huh?"

"You know, baseball?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer."

"Uh, pitching, I guess." I hadn't ever played baseball, to stick to my whole 'don't draw attention to yourself' thing, but I had watched the kids at recess with envy.

"Spear, then." He paused. "So do you get it?"

"Get what?"

"The pitching-hitting thing. You know, you throw a spe-"

"No one gets your jokes, Leo," says Christopher. It's meant as a joke, but to my surprise I sense a bit of agression. I quickly try to fill the awkward silence.

"So, should I, like, try some out or something?"

"Right." He walks over to a section of the wall where dozens of spears are just barely secured to the wall. I stay a little ways back from the wall.

Leo selects a shorter spear, holds it up to me, then immediately puts it back, shaking his head. Next is a longer one with a metal tip that seems to glow.

"Bit of a stretch, but who knows? Quite a few Greeks actually are more partial to Imperial Gold," he says as he places it in my hand. I try mock-throwing it randomly until he takes it out of my hands. "But apparently you're not one of those Greeks."

The third he chooses is about as long as the last one, except made from a polished dark wood with metal both for the tip and for a ball on the other side- to balance it out, I guess. I take it from him and it suddenly grows warm in my hands. Leo nods approvingly. "Okay, that sort of makes sense. You have chosen Diplo Provlima."

Somehow I translate this from ancient Greek. "'Double Trouble'? Really?" I ask, stiffling a laugh,

"Yeah. Of course, you can use one of our rental swords for practice, but if you ever go on a quest, which, considering you're a daughter of Zeus, is incredibly likely, this is the weapon to use."

"Thanks!" I say, turning my new weapon over in my hands. Leo shows me how to tap the ball at the end twice so that the rest of the spear folds into it, like a plastic lightsaber. I play with this while Christopher shakes Leo's hand and we leave. "I'm sorry if you're late for sword class," I tell him.

"No worries, Percy is always cool about that kind of stuff. Come on." Soon enough we are at the arena, a gigantic area protected by stone walls, with straw dummies in Greek armor and a pile of shields and swords propped up against the wall. The rest of the Apollo cabin is already there, gathered around another guy with black hair and bright green eyes.

"Christopher! Glad you could make it. And who's this?" He scans me with his eyes.

"Oh, this is Atalie. Atalie, this is Percy. I hope it's alright if she joins us today, she doesn't have her schedule yet. And sorry we're late, we were getting her weapon."

"Atalie… nice to meet you," Percy says. He keeps his eyes on me while continuing his instruction. "So, pair up, grab a sword, and let's get started! Atalie, you can be with me. I'm curious to see your fighting style."

Nervous, I take a sword from the pile, put on twenty pounds of armor and we head to a corner. "Let's just go for it so I can get an idea of where you are. I'll go easy on you, I promise." He smiles.

**blackriddle713 helped me out by writing this bit- I'm terrible at swordplay scenes**

"Ok…" I finger my sword shakily, then pick it up with my right hand, adjusting my grip to mirror Percy.

"One. Two. Three." he charges at me. I stifle a scream, then with all my might I swing at him. The sword is heavy and awkward in my hands, and I stagger a bit. Percy easily ducks my swing, delivering a heavy blow to my side. So much for going easy. If I wasn't wearing armor, I would be dead by now. I wipe sweat from my face, turning to face him again. He smiles, a look of determination on his face. He comes at me again, sword raised and screaming. This time, I manage to dodge him, but just. My cheek stings, but fortunately, there is no blood. While I am rubbing my cheek, he hits me in the back with the flat side of his blade. I fall forwards, my mouth tasting like gravel. Quickly, I turn, and when he runs at me a third time, I am ready. I jump up, waiting for him to come closer. At the last second, I dodge, then place my sword close to the ground, and he stumbles on it. Using the moment when he is off balance, I hit him on the knees, and his legs give way.

**Back to me :)**

"Not bad for your first time." he remarks, accepting my hand as I help him up. "But there are a few things you could work on." He shows me a few manuevers and ways not to totally make a fool of myself, then leaves me to practice while he walks around correcting the other kids. At the end of the lesson he summons me over to where he is sorting out the weapons.

"Chiron told me about your… orgins," he says, "And we've agreed it would be a good idea to make sure you are prepared in case anything happens. Would you mind coming here right after dinner? I can help you work with your new weapon, as well as other tricks I've picked up over the years."

"Um, sure," I say, curious about what else he and Chiron had discussed. "After dinner."

"Will you be able to find your way back here?"

"Probably." I smile bashfully and start to leave the arena. "Thanks for the lesson!" I lilt.

Christopher waits for me outside the door. "Next we have some free time. I'd suggest you find Chiron and see if you can get your schedule- not that I don't want you around; it's been such a pleasure, really. I just thought it'd be good to make sure everything's sorted-"

"Don't worry, I get what you mean," I say. Warmth crawls up my neck. "I've had a great time too. So… see ya!"

He takes off after the disappearing throng of Apollo kids. I wave even though he's not looking.


	5. 5: A Green Bird Speaks to Me

"Chiron, sir?" There's still no response on the third try. I take a step into the hallway of the Big House. I keep calling his name as I check each room for him, but am unsucessful. Eventually I climb the stairs to the attic cautiously. If he wasn't in here, he had to be outside, probably training some kids or arguing with Mr. D.

The attic is, well, an attic. For those of you who live in an apartment, or maybe on the West Coast, that means it is a room smelling like mothballs, only occupied by cardboard boxes, ancient furniture, and other random junk, and the dust covering it. "Chiron?" I call again. I'm about to head back down when I hear a rustle. Could he be trapped somewhere within this jungle? I round a dangerously teetering pile of boxes and jump back in surprise. A mummy is staring back at me. A petrified shriek escapes from my mouth as I turn quickly and nearly bump into the red haired girl who sat with Chiron during lunch.

She puts her hands on her hips and cocks her head. "How long were YOU stuck in the Lotus Hotel? You come up here, looking for a prophecy from that shrivelled hippie corpse? I don't think you got the memo- I'm the oracle now."

"Um, actually I was looking for Chiron..." She doesn't pay attention.

"Who are you, anyway? Going on a quest or something? No, I would have heard about it. I'm Rachel Dare, by the way... But you've been here long enough to try the food, right? It's like, so good. Today I literally had so many sandwiches I had to-" Suddenly Rachel stops. Her body stands rigid, down to her shoulder-length curls. She doesn't speak, but a green smoke furls from her mouth and a raspy voice echoes in my skull.

_"The oracle of Delphi recognizes you, Atalie Moore, daughter of Zeus and young witch…"_

I gasp. "Um, Rachel, are you okay?"

_"She is fine."_

"Wait- so she's an oracle? Isn't that kind of like a seer who can predict the future?"

_"Yes."_ If possible, the voice sounds annoyed.

"Alright, um, what's my future?"

The voice pauses, and for a moment I am worried I have said the wrong thing. But then the green smoke shifts into the blurry shape of an eagle. It turns its beady eye on me and opened its beak.

_"Father and son wish to rule the lot;_

_Two halves can conquer what a whole cannot._

_And yet you shall fight back with your all,_

_Selfishness an enemy to which one will fall._

_In the end, it's your choice- though one hard to make,_

_For in granting success one power shall it take."_

"Wait- that doesn't make any sense!" But already the eagle has dispersed and Rachel collapses onto the attic floor.

I run to her and start shaking her shoulders. A clopping sound makes me turn around to find Chiron grimacing. "I hate those stairs. Oh, so I see you've met Miss Dare."

"Will she be alright?"

"Probably. It'd be best to leave her be, though, the aftermath of giving a prophecy is best carried out in solitude. Come on downstairs, I'm sure there is much we must talk about." He gestures I should go down the staircase first. Not soon after I can understand why.

"Sir, do you need help?" Chiron holds tightly to the handrail as he awkwardly makes his way down the stairs.

"No, thank you for your courtesy. Sorry to hold you up, these awful hooves!"

But eventually we're back in the parlour. I perch uncertaintly on the arm of a couch while Chiron stands before me.

"Is Rachel like a Seer?" is the first question that flies from my lips.

He looks confused. "Seer? Oh, those fortune tellers wizards have. Close, but not quite. She is an oracle. Rather than having the power to predict the future, Rachel speaks the words of the god Apollo. In both ancient Greece and the present, people went to an oracle, a clear sighted human girl, to communicate with him." I still don't really get it, but Chiron is already interrogating me. "What did she say?"

I hesitate.

"You can tell me. What was the prophecy?"

I close my eyes and the image of the green eagle of smoke floods back into my mind's eye as it speaks the prophecy. My mother had told me how important prophecies are, and that they can't fall into the wrong hands. Even though I've only met Chiron today, I already think of him as a mentor, a leader. I repeat the prophecy to him, and watch his eyes. Eyes are like a stained glass window to the brain. You can't see what's inside perfectly, but you can tell when there's something swimming about. And something is, as the wise centaur listens. But whatever it is, he doesn't tell me. Instead he sits back and says, "Do you have any idea what the prophecy could mean?"

I think for a moment. "Two halves… is that me?" Chiron doesn't say anything, which makes me more sure it is true. "Well then it's saying I can do something no one else can do. So this father and son want me," I say uncomfortably. "And then the part about me fighting back is pretty obvious, not much work there… isn't selfishness always an enemy? But we should watch out especially now? Except… "one will fall". What does that mean? Somebody's going to be-"

"Obviously you are a sharp young woman," Chiron says abruptly. "Just remember: Sometimes prophecies have several possible meanings, and the best thing to do is to let is play out on its own. Now, I believe you had visited me for a schedule? I'm sure I have it somewhere, hang on… here you are." He hands me a timetable printed on sky-blue paper. "Although I believe it is not of much use to you now. After all, fate has something planned for you... I will call all the campers to the campfire as promptly as possible to bless you before you leave. And of course every hero needs companions for her quest."

"Wait- quest? What quest?"

Chiron looks into my eyes. "Yours."

**I am not Rick Riordan, I do not have the whole story planned out, I do not have an editor to help me, I am not a 49 year old. So please forgive how obvious the prophecy is- I just sat down one night with a rhyming dictionary and thought about important things that could happen later. But I still want it to be confusing, so I might have to make Atalie incredibly stupid and unable to decipher the entire prophecy until the very end or something... :)**

**Thanks for reading, please review! I check my account every day to see how many people read this, and whenever I get a review (only one so far on this story :( ) I get up and do a happy dance and email everyone who knows about this story but thinks I'm a failure at fanwriting. So please review.**

**-NiceSlytherin**

**_Ug! For some stupid reason my account won't let me post a new chapter until tomorrow. But I have got one, so hang on! And thanks for reading!_**


	6. 6: I Choose my Companions

**Ok, I'm back. Sorry, I've been super duper distracted lately. And I'm also not really a night person and I can't think at this hour, so this chapter's a short one. Thank you if you're reading this!**

He somehow manages to get every sweaty yet intrigued campers around a gigantic firepit. Even though it's the afternoon it is still filled with flame, a bright purple fire that jumps about. Chiron clambers onto a bench closest to the fire.

"I don't know whether your counselours told you why you're here, so I will say it straight-out: a certain camper has been given a chance to prove herself, a quest."

Whispers broke out. "I know! It's that big-three newbie!" someone called out. I tried to sink into the crowd but it didn't make a difference.

"Yes, Atalie Moore has recieved a prophecy," Chiron affirms. "And I know that you will all pray to your gods for her throughout her journey. And then there is the obvious subject of companions. Atalie?"

He summons me, and I join him shyly on the bench. It is just barely big enough for a human and centaur to stand on. "Who would you like to accompany you on your quest? I'd suggest you choose two companions, from different cabins to have as many varied powers as possible."

I swallow. I've only really met one nice camper the whole day. "Christopher… from Apollo," I croak. I scour the throng of campers but can't find him until a shift in the crowd occurs. They're parting for him, and he stops just under the bench. He smiles up at me reassuringly. I'm lost for a second and Chiron clears his throat.

"One more, Atalie?"

"Yeah, um…" I go through my day in fast-motion, trying to think of another person. Suddenly I have an image of clashing metal, labored breathing. A laugh, one that's not supposed to tease but I'm still slightly ashamed. "Percy?"

The campers all groan good-naturedly (well, most of them good-naturedly), which makes me believe Percy is not unfamiliar in the slightest with quests. I look at Chiron for approval, and I think I find some, but I can't be sure with that guy.

Percy stands next to Christopher and they shake hands.

"You three will leave right after dinner. I am sorry to send you off in the middle of the night like this, but you really can't procrastinate a prophecy. Now that that's all settled, everyone, please join in a blessing for these young heroes."

Some people look up towards the sky, others kneel and look down at their hands, and some even grab handfuls of pine needles from the ground. No one speaks, but there's something going on, and the air feels heavier, like it's saturated with spirits. A yellowish haze grows slowly over the crowd. It floats towards us and I watch in amazement as it seeps into every inch of me. I look at Percy and Christopher and notice a faint aura around them, like their skin is glowing gold, but when I stare at my hands I can't see it on myself. Everyone ends their prayer, and from the way they're looking at us I know that even if I can't see the aura, it's around all three of us.

A moment passes before Chiron says, "Thank you. As it's nearly the end of the activity block, I may as well let you all go to dinner early."

Campers whoop and race each other in the direction of the dining pavilion. We follow.

"What exactly is a quest?" I mutter.

Christopher and Percy look at me in surprise. "Chiron didn't tell you? It's… well, it's a quest. An expedition. To fulfill your destiny and all that," Christopher says.

"So what are we going to do this time?" Percy asks me, grinning.

"How should I know?" I retort.

"It's your quest. What did the prophecy say?"

I think about the prophecy. There wasn't a clear order as to what to do. "Um, I think we're supposed to fight a father and his son… who want me." The words leave my mouth dry and bad-tasting.

But Percy smiles. "I know the feeling. Don't worry, you're going to do great. After all…" he trails off, noticing Christopher looking confused, and I realize he doesn't know that I'm half-and-half. Chiron had told me to be careful about who I revealed my parentage to, but if this guy was going on a quest with me, and would probably be responsible for my life at some point, I didn't know any one who should know it for better reasons.

"Christopher, there's something I should tell you. I'm a witch."

"Don't be like that. You're a lovely girl."

"No, an actual witch, with a wand. Because… demigods aren't the only magical species out there."

He's gaping at me. "So you're, like, doubly powerful."

"Apparently."

"Daughter of Zeus… and a witch. Di immortales." He closes his eyes. "Well, that's going to be helpful on our quest."

Percy just grins at me.


End file.
